Fishing Boats

A hand-crafted wooden dinghy drifted lazily upon the still waters of Pentwater Lake on a summer evening. Its tending line kept the little craft from drifting too far away from a classic wooden sailboat.

A rowboat rests at its dock on Bass Lake near Pentwater, Michigan. The peacefulness and timelessness of the scene captured my eye on an early morning photo hunt. I am quite sure I photographed the same little boat at its dock a couple years ago but today the direction and angle of the light is far better. F9 at 1/250, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

On the Western shores of Bass Lake, near Pentwater, three large tree-covered hills grace the horizon. I have heard many names for these hills, but the local favorite is The Three Sisters.

Bass Lake mirrors its famous landmarks, the Three Sisters hills that separate this lake from Lake Michigan north of Pentwater. A pontoon boat lies motionless at its offshore mooring.

The Ludington State Park Canoe Trail is one of the park's least traveled and most beautiful areas for a fall color tour. On days like this many of us ask ourselves why we don't launch a canoe more often. Time passes and too many voyages go untaken.

Salmon Fishing in July Ludington

As the sun rises above Hamlin Lake and the birds start singing, a new world is awakening, a world that is begging to be discovered. Whether exploring her by land or by sea, Ludington State Park: Queen of the North will not disappoint.

Silver Lake shortly after sunrise provided the backdrop for some stored boats on an autumn morning.

As young boys, my brother and I fished every bayou on Hamlin Lake in a boat similar to the one these fishermen were casting from on the lake's Middle Bayou on a summer evening.

A fisherman slowly paddles to one of his favorite fishing holes on Lincoln Lake near Cartier Park. Mount Epworth is aglow behind him as the clouds make beautiful reflections on the calm water. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

This is one of the lifeboats from the City of Flint 32. The City of Flint 32 was one of the many past carferries that put Ludington on the map when this port had the largest carferry fleet in the world. F5.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

With the Detroit skyline in the background, a fishing boat speeds northward up the Detroit River. The cold of an early November morning cannot deter the avid fisherman from his pursuit. F7.1 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

Like a scene out of the past, a classic wooden speedboat docked at Pentwater Yacht Club brings back my visions of the 1950s and 1960s, when such boats were popular on area lakes.

Long after it had outlived its usefulness as a boat, a rusting hulk remains in the water on tiny Fox Lake in eastern Mason County. I wonder about its history and the enjoyment it probably brought people in years past. Even though half rusted away, I find it beautiful as a still life subject.

The Director

Once in a great while, a sign in the outdoor world appeals to me. This one on the hull of a weathered rental boat beached on Hamlin Lake was one of those rare exceptions.

My dad and my Uncle Budde have always loved to race each other on foot or by car, truck, or boat. To say they are competitive is an understatement. Today they raced their tritoons on Hamlin Lake. The best part was seeing the devilish grins on both their faces.

This is one of the last old-time fishing boats still used in the Ludington area. My dad's love of old boats has been passed down to me. I love how this photograph looks like a fish's eye. F8.0 at 1/15, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Photographing life rings is one of my hobbies. The weathered appearance of this ring aboard the tugboat Karl E. Luedtke caught my eye while the Frankfort-based tug was working on a Ludington harbor improvement project. Photographing familiar objects, over time, is a good way to learn to see the objects and light better, and to watch my photography evolve.